In the world of carbon bike repair, sometimes the most horrendous looking damage can end up being just in the paintwork, and other times the smallest scratch can in fact be an indicator of more serious problems beneath.
Ultrasonic testing (or ultrasound, not the baby imaging kind) is non-destructive, meaning that it doesn't need any paint or material to be removed.
It is able to penetrate through the layers of paint and carbon, finding any hidden damage beneath. It is a very powerful tool, which is why it is used extensively in the aerospace industry, among many others.
Below are a couple of examples of how and when we have used this tool to help our customers.
Case Study #1 Cannondale SuperSix
Chain drop can make a bit of a mess but the extent of the damage can vary from purely cosmetic to structural.
In this case, despite looking pretty severe, the damage was superficial, and we only needed to restore the paintwork. A very happy customer. Good as new 👍👍👍
Case Study #2 Nukeproof Mega
A Nukeproof Mega that took a drop off the up-lift.
The frame was first inspected using ultrasound to confirm the extent of the damage. In this case, the carbon was damaged beneath and needed repair.
The damaged carbon was then carefully removed and fresh carbon scarfed back in its place ensuring the fibre orientation aligns with the existing lay up.
Finally the paint was matched and restored.
Case Study #3 Pinarello F
A Pinarello F in with impact damage to the top tube.
Only surface damage to the paintwork was visible, without any obvious visual cues of damage to the carbon. The severity of the incident implied there was enough force to damage the carbon so we scanned the area with ultrasound that picked it up.
The damaged carbon was carefully removed making sure non was left before fresh carbon was scarfed in place to the correct orientation of the original fibres so that it in effect becomes part of the frame.
